Linking plant functional traits to biodiversity under environmental change

Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms underpinning the origins, patterns and dynamics of biodiversity is fundamental in biology and ecology. Trait‐based ecology emphasizes the importance of functional traits in community assembly and ecosystem properties, however, functional traits can also provide links with biodiversity at broader temporal and spatial scales. Here, we proposed a perspective of using functional traits to analyze and predict biodiversity from different ecological dimensions, along with the influences of evolution and environment. We summarized current research progress on roles of plant functional traits in species adaptation and coexistence, biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning, species distribution and global biodiversity, in order to integrate a functional approach to investigate biodiversity, and then discussed future trends of biodiversity studies under environmental change.